Phillies’ Pat Burrell understands David Ortiz’ pain

PHILADELPHIA - When Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell heard the topic of conversation, he immediately was struck with an air of seriousness, suggesting the dialogue be moved to the solitude of a back room next to the Philadelphia clubhouse.

“I was going to call him when I heard,” Burrell said before he helped the Phillies defeat the Red Sox [team stats], 8-2, last night at Citizens Bank Park. Burrell was 2-for-2 with a pair of walks to move his batting average up to .289.

Burrell had an urge to reach out to Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz [stats], and the impetus was the torn tendon sheath in Ortiz’ left wrist, which is the same injury Burrell once experienced.

Ortiz, who had his cast removed yesterday, avoided season-risking surgery just as Burrell did with the same injury.

“That was the best thing I ever did,” Burrell said of not having the surgery. “When I heard (Ortiz) might have surgery because of the torn sheath, I was actually going to call Terry (Francona) and tell him that it might be worth a second opinion. But everybody is different, and it might not be my place.”

For Burrell, however, the wrist he injured on a check swing in San Diego on Aug. 3, 2004 serves as his lead hand when batting, unlike the left-handed-hitting Ortiz. Still, the Phillies player might serve as the best example when it comes to understanding what lays ahead for the Red Sox slugger.

Burrell was sent home from San Diego after finishing out that 2004 game against the Padres and returned to the lineup on Sept. 3, when he hit a home run against the Mets. Burrell was able to come back from the injury in just less than five weeks. He ended up hitting six home runs in September.

It was almost a recovery that took a completely different turn, down a surgical path Burrell was hoping Ortiz wouldn’t jump into lightly.

“I was going to have surgery, but two nights before I was taking a shower, during which I was supposed to be wearing this (splint), but just forgot,” Burrell explained. “I was supposed to be showering with one hand, but I ended up not doing it and didn’t feel any pain. So I went to have a doctor look at it again the next day.”

The physician Burrell recommended was Dr. Thomas Graham, who performed similar surgeries on former Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons and is consulting the Sox on Ortiz. The diagnosis was it would be best if Burrell didn’t have the surgery.

“I’m friends with Jay, and his advice was to play with it as long as you can because he ended up having multiple surgeries and never really had the same feeling,” Burrell said. “It’s a situation where I was told if I could tolerate it everything would be OK.”

Burrell has gone on to hit 115 home runs since returning from the injury, but he still cautions that it might be an imperfect condition that Ortiz simply has to get used to.

“I think what happened to me was with time, the body accepts that that was what it was going to be like,” he said. “For me it was a really good decision (not to have surgery).”

(bostonherald.com)